Piggly Wiggly

The Piggly-Wiggly chain of owner-operated grocery stores entered the Birmingham market with four locations. Opened on May 2, 1925, the four original stores were all owned by chain founder Clarence Saunders. The chain itself was founded by Saunders in Memphis, Tennessee in 1916. He later patented his concept of the "Self-Serving Store", with which he replaced the prevailing system in which a clerk gathered up an order from shelves behind the counter.

Several of the Birmingham area locations are owned by local franchisee Piggly Wiggly Food Stores of Jefferson County.